Clinic Policies (Click on the links to navigate to a specific policy)
Appointments: Scheduled Appointments, Late Arrivals and Missed or No Shows, Drop Offs for Procedures
Prescriptions: Prescription Medications, Refill Requests, Online Pharmacy, Returns and Written Prescriptions
Payments: Forms of Payment, Time of Service, Deposits
Rabies: Laws, Timing, Policies
Heartworm: Testing and Exam Requirements
Appointments
Our routine order of priority in attending to patients:
1. Daytime Emergencies For Established Clients / Patients ONLY: Emergency cases shall always receive top priority, which is why occasional appointment delay is inevitable. While exceptions may be made, we generally ONLY accept current clients/patients on an emergency basis.
2. Scheduled Appointments
3. Flex Urgent Care Appointments and Work-Ins for Established Clients / Patients ONLY: Because we know that some things cannot wait for a routine appointment, we may have a flexible or same-day appointment available. We also may be able to do a “work-in” for your pet, depending on our schedule and availability. If you are approved for a work-in, understand that we are doing just that—working your pet into our normal working day. We do this as a courtesy and expect you to understand that we will get to your pet as soon as we can and that you may have a higher wait time. We generally take in three work-ins in the morning and three in the afternoon, depending on schedule, and they are first-come, first-served.
Same-day and work-in appointments are reserved for ESTABLISHED clients and patients only. If we cannot accommodate you that day or are not a current client, you may get referred to an emergency facility.
4. Late Appointments: Situations happen and the staff at Brigadoon Animal Hospital understand. To keep our doctors on time for our other clients/patients, we ask that you call or email to reschedule if you are going to be more than 15 minutes late to your appointment. We will make time to see you, but you will then be put behind the regular on-time appointments on a space-available basis.
Drop Offs for Procedures, Sample Collection and Appointments:
If you are asked to drop off your pet for a surgery, test or other procedure or for sample collection, you will be required to do so between 8:00 to 8:30 am, unless otherwise specified. We generally do not do drop-off appointments, but for some ESTABLISHED clients, we may do so if it is pre-arranged. Because certain procedures require longer than others, there may be special timing to tests, or we may be waiting to take care of your pet after normal appointment hours, we expect you to understand that your pet may be with us for a majority of the day. We do not mind if you call to check on your pet, but we will call you when they are ready to go home, unless we have already given a time for you to pick them up.
Cancellations: When you book your appointment, you are holding a space on our calendar that is no longer available to our other patients. In order to be respectful of your fellow patients, please call Brigadoon Animal Hospital as soon as you know that you will not be able to make your appointment.
How to Cancel Your Appointment: If you need to cancel your appointment, please call us at (252) 393-6581 during our normal business hours or email us at [email protected]. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
Cancellation or No-Show Fees: If you must cancel your appointment, we require 24 hours notice. For surgeries we require a 48 hour notice of cancellation. A no-show is when a patient misses an appointment or surgery with no notification.
For regular appointments, if you do not provide a 24 hour notice or no-show, you will be charged a cancellation fee of $25 per appointment. If you no-show three times, you will no longer be allowed to make an appointment and will have to try for a work-in at our convenience.
For surgeries, if you do not provide a 48 hour notice, you will be charged a $50 cancellation fee.
For boarding, if you do not provide a 24 hour notice or no-show, you will be charged the pet suite you booked.
If you are charged for missed appointments, you must pay the fee prior to being able to schedule a new appointment.
Pharmacy Fill Policy :
According to the North Carolina Veterinary Practice Act, G.S. 90-187.8. (18) we can not, and will not, provide prescription medications for patients without a current Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR). This means that you and your pet need to have had a recent exam by a doctor in our hospital. We do not fill medication requests for problems which have not been diagnosed by our doctors.
We can not fill prescription medications for animals which are not current patients of our animal hospital -even when those prescriptions are written by other veterinarians or veterinary hospitals. This would require a separate Pharmacy Dispensing License which veterinary hospitals generally do not possess. Although some veterinary practices may fill prescriptions for non-patients this is technically a violation of both Board of Pharmacy and Veterinary Medical Board statutes. We simply will not violate regulatory statutes.
Prescriptions are anything that requires a doctor’s signature to fill, which include, but are not limited to, items such as medications, foods and preventions for heartworms, fleas and ticks.
Refill Requests :
We will refill prescriptions on request provided we have recently examined your pet and the particular medication or product is appropriate based on the veterinarian's diagnosis. The time frame of 'recent examination' is at the doctor's discretion but will never exceed a maximum of one year from your pets' last annual examination.
If you require a refill on your pet's medication, we recommend you contact the office by telephone and to allow 24-48 business hours for us to allow enough time for the staff to verify the refill is authorized by the Veterinarian, to confirm that we have the medication in stock, and to prepare the refill. Generally, special order medications or medications which have gone out of stock may take longer to fill and we will let you know when they become available.
We will not provide prescription refills for animals which are not current patients of our animal hospital - nor provide refills for animals which are patients of another animal hospital - even when those prescriptions are written by other veterinarians or veterinary hospitals.
Certain medications may require updated lab work or a visit with our veterinarian to renew a prescription.
Online Pharmacy :
Our pharmacy can be accessed through our website or through this link: Online Store. Please be aware that our online pharmacy is operated by a third-party vendor, Covetrus vRxPro. In order to utilize the online store, an account must be created through our specific link. Your information and pets must be accurately entered when creating profiles to ensure accuracy. Once an order is submitted, please allow 24-48 business hours for us to allow enough time for the staff to verify the refill is authorized by the Veterinarian.
For any concerns or help, please contact us at (252) 393-6581. For technical questions please call Covetrus support at (833) 396-7446.
No Returns For Refund or 'Credit' :
Veterinary Medical Board and Board of Pharmacy regulations prohibit the return and resale of pharmaceutical products once they have left control of the Veterinarian. This is a basic safety issue and applies to pre-packaged prescription medications as well as loose pills or liquids.
Because we cannot - and will not - resell medications that have left the direct control of our hospital, we will not accept medications or 'returns' which have left our hospital premises.
For the same reasons, we do not offer 'credit' or refund for unused or unwanted medications once these medications have been dispensed to you.
Payments for Services :
Our practice requests full payment at the time services are rendered. We do not send out billing invoices to individual clients, permit running tabs or 'put it on account' for later payment. In addition, we do not offer payment plans, hold checks or accept post dated checks.
If you have a balance, you will be required to pay the balance in full before you can make another appointment.
We accept the following forms of payment:
Care Credit
Cash
Credit Cards: We accept Discover, American Express, Visa and Mastercard. You may be asked to show a Driver's License during payment.
Checks: We accept personal checks (bank endorsed) - We cannot accept Account Starter Checks, Third Party Checks, or Checks brought in by another person. We require a valid Driver's License during payment.
Treatment/Financial Consent: I hereby authorize the veterinarian to examine, prescribe, for or treat the current pet(s). I or the Other Responsible Party assume responsibility for all charges incurred in the care of this animal. I understand that payment is always due IN FULL at time of service. I recognize that financial concerns should be discussed PRIOR to exam & treatment. The staff at Brigadoon Animal Hospital are happy to provide estimates.
Surgery Deposits:
We require a $50 deposit when patients get scheduled for surgeries (spay, neuter, dentals, etc.) The deposit will be used toward the surgery. Please be aware that if you do not give a 48 hour notice to cancel or if you no-show, then the deposit will NOT be refunded.
Deposits on Hospitalized Patients:
Patients hospitalized for scheduled procedures or for emergency illness or injury cases may be required to make an initial payment towards the anticipated cost of care. In such cases, an estimate will be provided and a deposit may be required for half the cost of the low end of the estimate.
There is no legally accepted exemption or waiver of rabies vaccination for dogs, cats, or ferrets in North Carolina. N.C. General Statute 130A-185 (www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLe... 130A-185.pdf) requires that owners of all dogs, cats, and ferrets 4 months of age and older keep their animals’ rabies vaccinations current. The intent of the rabies laws is to protect both domestic animals and the public against rabies. It is important to emphasize to owners, that if, against the advice of a veterinarian, they elect not to vaccinate their animals, they will not be in compliance with state law and if an exposure or a potential exposure to rabies occurs to their “not currently vaccinated” pet, the pet shall be subject to legal measures that include euthanasia, up to 6 months of quarantine or an observation period (depending on the circumstances) at the discretion of the local health director, according to G.S. 130A-197 (www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/BySection/Chapter_130A/GS_ 130A-197.pdf).
Pet owners who are concerned about adverse reactions or over-vaccination should be informed that rabies virus antibody testing (titers) are not to be used in place of current vaccination for either management of rabies exposure or for determination of booster vaccinations for animals. Further, NC State Law accepts no excuse for not vaccinating your pet such as, “My pet never goes outside,” “My pet is too old,” etc.
The owner should retain the original copy of the rabies vaccination certificate, provided by the legally authorized vaccinator as evidence of the animal’s current vaccination status.
The first rabies vaccination for your pet, regardless of age, is considered valid for one year. Thereafter, if your pet is on time with boosters, subsequent rabies vaccinations are considered good for three years. If your pet is late with a booster, it is the Doctor’s discretion on how long the booster is considered valid—whether a one year or a three year, depending on time between vaccinations.
We do not routinely deny service for animals with no proof of rabies. However, if your pet does not have proof of rabies vaccination, we reserve the right to deny current or future service to clients of pets who refuse to have their pet vaccinated against rabies, especially if the pet is aggressive or feral.
Heartworm Testing/Medication Policy
Heartworm preventions are prescription-only, meaning that only a licensed veterinarian can sell heartworm medication or provide a prescription for heartworm prevention. Dispensing a prescription also requires that your pet have a current V/C/P/R, so even if you ask for a “heartworm check only”, you may be required to update your physical exam status.
We follow the Standard of Care for heartworm testing as established by the American Heartworm Society (AHS). The recommendation by the AHS is to test dogs over 6 months of age once a year / every year for heartworm disease with a blood sample.
All non-injectable heartworm preventions (chewable tablets or topical liquid) MUST be given EVERY 30 DAYS to be effective and injectable ProHeart 6 month and 12 month must be administered in a timely manner.
Our team will review your pet records for medications purchased as directed. If our records show that your dog is not receiving heartworm medication every 30 days or ProHeart injections are not administered at appropriate times, we will require a heartworm test before dispensing prevention.
Example: If you purchased and started giving 6 months of heartworm prevention in January, but you didn’t return to pick up more until August, that confirms there is a gap of missed doses or inappropriate administration of heartworm prevention. In such cases, we will require a heartworm test before dispensing prevention.
Heartworm Guarantee
Our canine heartworm preventions come with guarantees from the manufacturers. This means that if your dog acquires heartworm disease while on a specific product, the manufacturer may pay for partial or full treatment. Your dog must have tested negative for heartworms prior to initiation of heartworm prevention, must have been on a chosen heartworm prevention exclusively from one of our manufacturers, and the prevention must have been purchased through our hospital. This is one reason that we require a heartworm check at least yearly. Specific guidelines may vary among manufacturers.
Heartworm Tests From Other Vet Clinics
We will acknowledge heartworm tests performed by other veterinary clinics. Our team will need to see your pet at our clinic to establish a current VCPR along with documentation of the test annually. As indicated above, if your records indicate your pet has not had medication every 30 days (or administered ProHeart injections as scheduled), we will require a heartworm test before dispensing prevention.
At Brigadoon Animal Hospital, we focus on the importance of a positive environment for our team members, clients, and patients. We expect everyone from all parties to remain civilized and act with respect, which will create the desired outcome for all. However, there are certain behaviors that can get in the way of such an experience. We operate with a zero-tolerance policy with regard to violence and abusive behavior. It is also our commitment to uphold the same standards with our staff and request you speak with management if you feel this is not being upheld.
We will not tolerate:
• Foul or offensive language towards our staff
• Hostile verbal attacks
• Angry outburst
• Direct or implied threats to our personal safety or reputation
• Aggressive or menacing behavior towards people or pets
• Destruction of property
• Harassment by repeated visits, calls, or messages
• Any other objectionable behavior that disrupts our business and disturbs our veterinarians, team members, clients, and/or patients.
Should any of our staff experience such an incident with any clients who engage in any of these behaviors while on hospital property will be given a warning. All staff members are authorized to contact law enforcement if necessary to remove a disruptive or threatening client from our premises. This is in order to safeguard our practice staff, clients, and patients.
Our hospital management team is authorized to terminate the clinic’s relationship with any client who, in their judgment, violates this policy. Copies of the patient’s medical records will be sent immediately to the clients address on file, and no further services will be offered to the client or members of their household
Photo Consent: We love our patients and love to share their progress through social media. Do we have your permission to share your pet(s)’ image and story on social media, our website & other forms of social media? Your name and personal information will never be shared. Please check Yes or No on the client form.